The live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, a film that came out in 2010 and first featured America Ferrera voicing Astrid, is now going in a new direction. Dean DeBlois, who is the director of the film, recently responded to criticisms of the casting in a post. Some people are questioning the casting of Nico Parker as Astrid because she is black, whereas Astrid was portrayed as white in the animated film. These criticisms went viral on social media, and DeBlois responded to them.
He said that we auditioned many actors, and the biggest reason for choosing the right actor was that he could perfectly play the spirit and personality of the character. Criticizing “Black Astrid”, DeBlois said that we are not making a film based on history, but creating a fictional story. He also adds that an attempt is being made to bring out a new story in the film, but the old elements will also not be ignored.
“There was a lot of cultural mixing among the Vikings,” DeBlois said. He also explains that changes have been made in many places in the film’s shots keeping in mind the historical facts. He wanted the film’s scenes and characters to be as impressive and interesting as they were in the first version of the film. Along with this, he also clarified that no shot-by-shot remake is being done.
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Apart from Nico Parker, actors like Mason Thames, Gerard Butler and Nick Frost will also be seen in the film. Whatever the discussion on this casting, DeBlois believes that he has chosen the most suitable actors. Now it remains to be seen how the audience accepts this new adaptation.
Is Nico Parker’s Astrid Casting Right for How to Train Your Dragon Live-Action?
Nico Parker has been cast as Astrid in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie. The news has created a lot of buzz. Parker, who previously appeared as Sarah Miller in HBO’s “The Last of Us,” has received a lot of praise for her role. Now, she is facing another challenge that no one expected. Astrid’s character is that of a brave Viking girl. She is Hiccup’s girlfriend, a powerful warrior. But some people believe that Parker does not look right in the role. This all increased when DeBlois said that Astrid’s character needs a youthful and sometimes reckless energy.
Some critics are raising questions about the casting. They say that Astrid being black is historically inaccurate. However, the director clarified that the Vikings traveled to different parts of the world, and their offspring will be the real warriors of the dragon. Therefore, he said that Astrid being black does not spoil the original elements of the story.
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How To Train Your Dragon: Nico Parker’s character of Astrid, not in the trailer but seen in the video
It was a bit disappointing that Nico Parker was not shown as Astrid in the first trailer of “How To Train Your Dragon”. Instead, Stoick, Mason Thames and Toothless were discussed more in the trailer. But there is one thing that everyone saw, that is the video in which Parker played the character of Astrid. To be honest, he had completely adopted Astrid’s look.
On the other hand, the trailer of the film was a bit different. Some people think that there will be something different in the film this time. It seemed as if Astrid’s character was hidden a bit. But when the video came out, people were surprised to see Parker’s style. When this film is released in 2025, it is expected that the audience will pay more attention to the character of Astrid.
Remember, there is a difference between what is shown in the trailer and what happens in the film. By the way, Nico Parker fits this character very well. People are waiting eagerly.